Host: San Francisco Environment Department
Region: Bay Area
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Mitigation, Renewable Energy, Urban Planning
Skills Needed: Project Management, Research, Data Analysis, Data Collection, Detail-Oriented, Self-Motivated

Service Needs & Plans

SF Environment (SFE) is the steward of climate action in San Francisco and is tasked with leading efforts to meet city greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets. Understanding our emissions sources and opportunities to reduce them is critical for achieving the ambitious climate and equity goals articulated in the 2021 Climate Action Plan. The community-wide sector-based GHG inventory, a robust technical process involving a wide range of data providers such as governmental organizations, utilities, and others, and which SFE’s climate program has been conducting on behalf of the city for over a decade, is a foundational tool for measuring progress against goals.

Project Description

The Civic Spark Fellow will work under the supervision of SFE’s climate program staff to collect, process, and analyze citywide and municipal data to update and improve the City’s GHG inventory. Through these fundamental efforts in climate action planning, the Fellow will help SFE continue to build capacity by investigating new analytical tools and streamlining processes; by engaging with diverse climate practitioners to continue improving the city’s capacity to understand and address its emissions, and by enabling SFE climate staff to gain experience with mentoring while also freeing up limited staff resources to support other climate action work streams. The Fellow’s end products will consist of the following: completed community-wide GHG inventory, including visualizations, infographics, and data records; an updated summary document for public communication about the inventory; and any new recommendations to further streamline and enhance the development process among other related items. Additionally and as needed, the Fellow will work on discreet projects to support efforts to implement the CAP; these projects will also be cross-cutting as actions must reduce emissions across relevant sectors while considering and addressing equity, economic, and community health issues.

Desired Skills

•Enthusiasm for and education in any or all of the following: sustainability, climate change studies, housing and transportation, racial and social equity
•Intermediate to advanced knowledge of Excel, familiarity with Power BI and ArcGIS a plus
•Experience researching and analyzing data
•Proficiency with word processing, database management, Google and Microsoft products
•Demonstrated ability to self-start and initiate projects
•Responsible, motivated, and able to work independently and in a team
•Strong writing, time management, and organizational skills

Organization & Community Highlights

With a successful track record and reputation developed over the past twenty five years, the San Francisco Environment Department (SFE) can be defined first and foremost by its people. The department is staffed by a team of nearly 100 committed, passionate, and expert practitioners of city government sustainability initiatives that advance climate protection and aim to enhance quality of life for all San Franciscans. SFE’s core program areas include Climate, Green Building, Energy, Zero Waste, Toxics Reduction, Clean Air Transportation, Healthy Ecosystems & Biodiversity, and Public Information. SFE’s cross-functional Climate team leads San Francisco’s climate action work (as recently articulated in the 2021 Climate Action Plan) by acting as a connector with nearly all major City departments, and by engaging community-based organizations, the private sector, and the public develop and implement policies, programs, and education campaigns that support the city’s climate and equity goals. The team also serves as the main source of data and information regarding the city’s greenhouse gas emissions, emission reductions, and related technical details.

San Francisco has long been the economic and cultural center of the Bay Area; it is also experiencing the same challenges seen in other large cities around the state and nation such as: housing affordability, homelessness, income inequality, and looming budget shortfalls among others, all which have been exacerbated by the pandemic. These issues can all be related back to SFE’s focus on climate and equity, so working at the department will enable opportunities to do very targeted work supporting local climate programs and policies, while also providing a unique vantage point and exposure to the broader issues facing a large city government entity such as the City and County of San Francisco.

Regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, SFE along with all departments of the City and County of San Francisco, are in the midst of a multi-phase Racial Equity Initiative which seeks to increase understanding and take concrete steps to ensure that both our workplace, and the services we provide to the public, reflect our commitment to advancing equity.

Remote or On-Site Placement

On-site